


The Cursed Summoner

by Namixart



Category: Final Fantasy IV
Genre: Background Original Characters - Freeform, Bisexual Edge, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, Getting Together, Slow Burn, This is ridiculously fluffy you guys it's getting worse, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, fight me, there are like no stakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 00:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18377087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namixart/pseuds/Namixart
Summary: When Rydia is cursed to lose her Eidolons, being almost invisible and different magic, her only chance to go back to normal is to get the Crown Prince of Eblan to fall in love.He's not at all pleased with her meddling in his love life with cheesy fairy-tale clichés.Or: Introspection isn't Rydia and Edge's forte and they could have solved this months ago if they weren't idiots.





	The Cursed Summoner

Prince Edward of Eblan was resourceful, if nothing else, Rydia concluded from her vantage point behind a wall. The purple frog that had once been a young man—and a rather handsome one at that, she mused, before shaking her head—hopped on the counter of the potion shop and stared pointedly at the owner.

The man sighed.

“Transformation?” he asked.

The frog nodded. The shopkeeper crouched behind the counter and emerged a second later with a small vial in hand. He opened it and poured three drops on the former prince's head. The frog hopped down on the floor just as a golden mist was starting to form around him. A second later, Prince Edward was standing in the middle of the room, stretching and rolling his shoulder.

“Oh, your Highness. I didn't know that was you.” The man stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“Thank you, Manabu,” he smiled, dropping a few gold coins on the counter.

The shopkeeper gaped at them.

“Your Highness, please. This is far too much,” he said in a small voice.

The prince waved a hand in dismissal.

“Don't worry about it, just take the money,” he chuckled.

Then he walked out of the store, smiling at the man's grateful cries.

As she watched the prince make his way through Eblan Borough, Rydia huffed.

“Didn't think that one through,” she murmured to herself.

Well, no matter. There were other ways.

 

* * *

 

Rydia was nothing if not open to possibilities. The prisoner in the tower wasn't really equipped to fight the dragon trapping him, but as long as he didn't leave the room he wasn't really in any danger. And to think that third-rate sorceress had wanted him to die there. Amateur.

She sat, safe and invisible on one of the outer walls of the castle and waited patiently for the prince to show up. When he finally did, she let out an outraged noise when she saw that he had four people with him. The dragon's head whipped towards her, sniffing the air for the intruder.

Rydia stood up and dusted the dust off her clothes. Why couldn't he just behave like a normal person on a quest and travel alone?

She snapped her fingers and appeared next to the drawbridge, her face covered by a dark hood. After a minute, the prince's party approached her and he dismounted from his horse.

“Excuse me, miss,” he said, with a slight bow of his head, “can you tell us where we are? We seem to have lost our way.”

_Of course you have_ , she thought with a small smile.

“This is Castle Bal, my liege,” answered Rydia, voice and eyes low, “It was once a great kingdom, but now...” she trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the ruins.

At that exact moment, there was a loud, rumbling noise that reverberated through their skulls.

“What was that?” shrieked one of Prince Edward's companions, a young boy dressed in green.

Rydia sighed under her hood.

“That,” she said slowly, “was the great dragon that now lives here.”

“A dragon?” asked the prince.

She nodded, then she covered her face with her hands and sobbed pathetically. “Oh, that poor boy!”

A pair of hands were on hers. She felt her fingers being gently pried away from her face, but she still didn't meet the prince's grey eyes.

“Is there...” he started, trying to look at her face, “is there someone else in that castle?”

Rydia snatched her hand from his and sat down on a tree stump, folding them in her lap.

“Unfortunately, yes. There, you see the faint light at the top of the highest tower? That is the chamber of the dragon’s prisoner, a young man stolen from his family. Oh, if only I could help him!” She covered her face again with her hands.

Leave it to Rydia to meddle with some witch's handiwork for her own purposes.

“I can,” said the prince, standing up straight and gesturing to his group.

“Let's go.”

“ _No_!”

Rydia hadn't meant to shout, but at least she had their attention.

“What's the problem now?” asked the woman next to the prince, tapping her foot impatiently.

“There… there is a spell protecting the castle!”

Ah, spells, the liar's saving throw.

“Only someone of royal blood can enter Castle Bal. The drawbridge won't lower for anyone else.”

The prince and the woman shared a look, then moved forward while the others stayed put.

“I am Edward Geraldine, Crown Prince of Eblan and this is my cousin Izayoi of Water,” he shouted at the bridge, tugging down his lilac mask as if to show the castle his face.

Rydia moved her fingers slightly under her robe and the heavy old cogs started to turn on their own.

Prince Edward and the woman called Izayoi looked at each other and stepped on the bridge.

As they made their way to the doors, Rydia bit back a curse. She turned to the three men that were staring at the prince's back and waved her fingers in front of their eyes. They instantly became vacant and unfocused. Rydia took a moment to hum appreciatively to herself, then she snapped her fingers and she was inside the castle.

The two were slowly and carefully making their way through the rubble, the prince in the front with his cousin watching his back.

She followed them in silence for a while, light on her feet and invisible. The dragon hadn't even noticed there was someone in its castle and it was sleeping in one of the ground floor halls. The two cousins plus Rydia kept climbing the stairs. They arrived in a great hall on the fourth floor that had been almost completely destroyed by the dragon. Now, only a thin stone catwalk survived, next to the wall.

Izayoi waited for a moment before following Prince Edward, making sure the coast was clear and leaving a significant gap between the two of them.

Rydia saw her opportunity.

She floated behind the prince and clicked her heel lightly on the catwalk. It crumbled under her touch, the noise deafening her for a moment.

Izayoi let out a small gasp and jumped back with feline agility, while Prince Edward almost fell off the catwalk from turning around too fast.

“Izzy!” he exclaimed.

“I'm fine!” she called back, “But that might have woken up the dragon. I'll make sure it doesn't come near the tower, you go on.”

And, with that, she was off. Prince Edward hesitated for a second, then hurried to the end of the room.

Rydia snapped her fingers and appeared in front of the dragon. It had, in fact, woken up, but a small wave of her hand put it back to sleep. She wasn't out to kill people, thank you very much.

The prince was almost at the top of the tower. Thanks to Rydia, the area was clear of traps and dangers, so he was able to make it in a few minutes.

Rydia leaned against a wall outside the chamber as Prince Edward paused in front of the locked door, curiosity taking the best of her.

The prince took a small wire from his satchel and knelt down. Rydia peered over his shoulder as he picked the lock with little effort. She had to admit she was a bit impressed.

The door swung open on a small but tidy room. There was a boy around the prince's age sitting at a desk, dark unkempt hair and freckles sprayed over his nose and arms. He looked up from his book with a puzzled expression.

“Who are you?” he asked, no hints of fear in his voice.

“My name is Edge, let's get out of here,” the prince said, gesturing for the other boy to follow him.

Rydia frowned. Edge?

The two ran out of the door and down a secondary staircase Rydia hadn't noticed.

“Hey, what about the dragon?” the prisoner—“Niklas,” he had shouted earlier—asked.

“My cousin is making sure it doesn't bother us,” Prince Edward— _Edge_?—replied without slowing down.

After that, Rydia teleported back out of the castle. They'd make it out easily. She resumed her spot near the bridge and broke the spell over the three that were still waiting there.

After a few minutes, the prince, his cousin and the prisoner appeared from a hidden entrance on the left side of the castle. Rydia jumped up, clasping her hands together.

“You made it,” she exclaimed, as if she hadn't been there the whole time, “May the Crystals bless you, my liege.”

The prince rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and looked back at Niklas.

“We'll take you back to your home. Where is it?”

“I come from Baron, your Highness,” he replied.

Prince Edward nodded.

Then, he seemed to remember something and turned back to Rydia, his grey eyes full of concern. She ducked her head under her hood, suddenly and inexplicably embarrassed.

“Miss, would you like to travel with us for a while? It's not safe to be alone around here at night,” he said gently, eyeing the horizon where the sun was beginning to set.

Rydia waved a hand in the air dismissively.

“Oh, don't worry about me. I was alone in the first place, wasn't I? I'll be fine. Thank you,” she added, “for your concern.”

The prince nodded slowly, not completely convinced, then he held out a hand for her to shake. She took it carefully, trying not to notice how unusually soft it was for a warrior.

“Thank you for your help,” Prince Edward said, once again trying to duck to properly see her face.

Rydia nodded slightly and took a step back. The prince got the hint and sighed.

“Then let's go,” he declared, standing up straight.

The party mounted again on their horses, Niklas riding with the young boy, and took off in the sunset.

Rydia grinned under her hood.

 

* * *

 

Rydia wasn't a love expert. But it had been two weeks since the castle rescue and she was getting antsy. She sat up from her desk in the small cottage in the woods near Eblan and stretched.

No harm done in checking, right?

She snapped her fingers and appeared in the throne room of Eblan castle. Invisible, she roamed the halls, trying to find either the prince or Niklas, preferably together.

After a while, she ended up in the library, empty except for the prince, who was reading in an armchair.

She donned her hood once again and approached him quietly.

“Your Highness?” she called.

He looked up from his book and recognized her after a moment, his face lighting up.

“Oh, it's you! Can I help you?” he asked, smiling.

“I was looking for the boy you rescued from the castle, my liege—” he flinched at the title—“have you seen him?”

His brows furrowed.

“Miss, Niklas boarded a ship to Baron as soon as we reached the borough. Why would he still be here?”

“What?” she exclaimed, a bit too loud for the empty library.

“Are you okay?” The prince stood up, his hands hovering awkwardly around her shoulders.

“Okay, that's it,” she said, grabbing his wrist and snapping her fingers.

Prince Edward stumbled back in his own room, away from prying eyes.

“W—what was that?” he stammered.

Rydia tossed her hood back and glared at the prince.

“You,” she snarled, pointing at him, “are starting to get on my nerves.”

Prince Edward looked at her with wide, confused eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?”

“I am cursed, your _Highness_ ,” she spat out the title with as much irritation as she could muster, “and _you_ are not helping with that.”

The prince stood up and grabbed her wrists, firmly but not tightly enough to hurt.

“I'm gonna need you to calm down,” he said slowly, “and explain to me what the hell is going on.”

Rydia took a deep breath and snatched her hands from his grasp. She stepped back and crossed her arms. The prince sat down on his bed and leaned with his elbows on his knees, waiting.

“I am a Summoner,” started Rydia after a moment, “and I was cursed a while back by a mage from Mysidia. I've been effectively turned into a _fairy_ ,” she said, disgusted.

“Okay,” said Prince Edward, “but what does that have to do with me?”

Rydia rand a hand through her hair.

“I can't turn back until you fall in love.”

The room was silent for a moment.

“What?” exclaimed the prince, standing up.

“Don't shout. Look, I'm sorry. I don't know why it has to be you or why this stupid condition even exists but it's the truth,” she muttered.

_Sure you don’t know,_ whispered a small part of her brain. She scoffed. As if she was going to open _that_ jar of worms now.

Prince Edward held up a hand while he ran the other through his silver hair. Rydia waited, silent.

“Okay, okay, okay,” he breathed, looking back at her, “that's insane.”

Rydia shrugged.

“Alright. Alright... So, the reason you're so angry with me is because I didn't fall in love with the guy I rescued and sent back to his family?” he accused, eyebrows shooting up.

Rydia looked away from him and didn't answer.

“And I'm guessing the frog thing was you as well?”

She nodded.

The prince dragged a hand over his face and tugged down his mask.

“Did it ever cross your mind that I might fall in love in my own time?”

Rydia glared at him.

“Of course, but I'm sick of this stupid curse. I can't communicate with my Eidolons and my magic feels wrong,” she spat out, “forgive me for trying to speed up the process.”

The prince didn't say anything for a moment, then he sat back down on his bed.

“Tell me more,” he said quietly.

Rydia eyed him.

“There isn't much to tell. The curse is broken if I make you fall in love.”

“With... you?”

She scoffed.

“Don't be ridiculous. Would I have set you up with someone else? It doesn't matter, you just need to be in love with someone.”

The prince sighed.

“I can't say I don't understand where you're coming from,” he said, standing up and looking right into her eyes, “but I don't appreciate your meddling, either.”

Rydia averted her gaze.

“Don't think I'm enjoying it. I'm sorry, but I'm gonna keep trying,” she murmured.

Prince Edward sighed again.

“Fair enough. I'm sorry it has to be this way, er…” he paused.

Rydia shook her head.

“It doesn't matter. I'll see you soon, Prince Edward,” she said, waving a little.

“Just Edge, please,” he said, a little miffed, while she snapped her fingers.

 

* * *

 

Rydia did feel a little bad to be forcing Edge to fall in love. He seemed nice enough and he hadn’t looked thrilled at the thought. So, for her next try, she decided she'd be a little more considerate.

Eblan's Seneschal didn't need much convincing to be completely on board with the idea of a massive ball in the hope of finding the Crown Prince a significant other. All it took was a little magic and a dream and the old man was all over it. Rydia watched, amused, as Edge's face fell when the King approved the idea and the preparations began.

The prince sighed in defeat and Rydia giggled. Hey, she was just giving him as much choice as possible.

The night of the ball, Eblan's great hall was packed with people from all over the planet. Rydia wandered amongst the crowd, half-listening to snippets of conversation from the guests.

“—almost complete, can you believe it? Pollendina must be working his team to the bone for—”

“—a vision of a castle disappearing beneath the sand. It can't be Damcyan, can it? I didn't even know the Crystals could—”

“—new fabrics and buckles. I need to visit the shop before they run out. Do you think—”

She spotted Edge standing near the throne and next to two young girls. One of them was a little more than a toddler and was holding the other's hand while she talked to the prince. Edge had a soft smile on his face, for once completely visible, and his grey eyes were twinkling. Rydia's breath hitched for a second and she shook her head.

She made her way towards them and Edge spotted her. He waved a bit with a tired smile on his face and the girls turned around as well.

The older one did a small curtsy and smiled.

Edge put a hand on her shoulder and turned to Rydia, fondness and pride in his eyes.

“These are my sisters, Lavinia—” the girl nodded—“and Marian.”

“Nice to meet you,” Rydia said with a smile, bending down to their level.

Lavinia had the same grey eyes as Edge, but she sported long raven black hair, while Marian had short brown curls and dark brown eyes. All three siblings shared the same dark skin and sharp features.

“My name is Garnet,” she continued.

“Nice to meet you,” said Lavinia, with a slight lisp, while Marian mumbled something under her breath.

“Why don't you go find Mother? She should be around here somewhere,” said Edge, scanning the room.

Lavinia's eyes flashed with recognition for a brief moment, then she nodded and waved as she dragged her sister away.

Rydia watched them go and smiled.

“They're lovely,” she said.

Edge nodded and put a hand on his hip.

“Yeah, they really are.” He turned to her. “Garnet, huh?”

She huffed.

“Not my real name.”

“Well, that's kind of rude.”

“Names are a powerful thing, your Highness,” she said with a sly smile.

Edge hummed, unconvinced, and turned to look around the hall again.

“I take it this is your doing?”

“I think it was only a matter of time, given your Seneschal's reaction,” she chuckled.

Edge sighed.

“Probably. So, why are you here in the open? I figured you didn't want to be seen by a lot of people?”

Rydia smirked.

“Who says they can see me?” Edge looked at her quizzically. “It's part of my curse. I'm not exactly invisible most of the time, just really hard to notice. If someone looked at us now, they'd see you talking with me, but as soon as they glanced away they'd forget about me entirely,” she explained.

“But I didn't,” he said, furrowing his brows.

“You're part of the curse as well, remember? Your sisters won't even recall meeting me.”

“Hm. I guess it makes sense.”

They stayed silent for a moment.

“Well, I'd better leave you now,” said Rydia after a bit, “I'll let you mingle. Go, spread your wings and open your heart,” she chirped with a wink.

Edge sighed, but he couldn't contain a chuckle.

“I'll see what I can do,” he deadpanned.

Rydia waved slightly and snapped her fingers.

 

* * *

 

He found her a few days later, roaming the castle library.

“I don't remember ever giving you access to this place,” he said, leaning against the heavy door.

To her credit, Rydia only dropped the book she was holding instead of the pile she held in her arms. She sighed and put them on the table beside her, then bent down to pick up the first one.

“It's not like I'm gonna steal them,” she said, flicking through the pages, “I just need some...” she trailed off, putting a slip of paper in the book and closing it.

“Ideas?” Edge supplied, coming closer and peering at the titles. “Fairy tales? Seriously? Is that why you turned me into a frog?”

Rydia ignored him, searching for something through the shelves.

“Are you mad at me because I'm still single after the ball?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Kind of,” she answered, without looking at him, “but I'm mostly busy.”

She stood on her tiptoes to reach a volume, but Edge was faster, leaning over her to snatch it. For a moment, she was uncomfortably aware of the warmth of his body, a few inches away from her back. The moment passed, and she shook her head, turning to face him.

“I could have done it, you know? I can float,” she said.

He shrugged and turned the book to get a better look at it.

“Memory spells? Oh, no, please don't do that. I don't want to go back to politics lectures,” he chuckled.

“It wouldn't even be permanent,” Rydia huffed.

There was silence for a moment.

“How long have you been here, anyway? You have bags under your eyes,” Edge asked after a while.

She turned her back to him to search through another bookcase and shrugged.

“Don't know. Couple of days?”

She reached for a book, but Edge's warm hand covered hers and pushed it back. She glared at him over her shoulder, but he didn't seem fazed. Taking her delicately by the wrist he led her to a sitting area and motioned for her to sit down. She let him, the lack of sleep finally getting to her.

Rydia lowered herself slowly in an armchair, while Edge plopped down on the one in front of her. Then, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees and locked his gaze with hers.

“Level with me,” he said softly.

Rydia ran a hand through her hair, huffing when her fingers found a knot.

“What do you want to know?” she asked.

“More about your curse. Why it happened, for example.”

Rydia looked away, a slight blush on her cheekbones. She mumbled something under her breath.

“Sorry, what was that?”

“It’s ridiculous,” she tried feebly.

Edge just smiled warmly and motioned for her to go on. She took a deep breath.

“There’s this guy in Mysidia, Agimar,” she started, voice low, “he runs the Mage Academy and I think he’s about a million years old.”

Edge chuckled and Rydia smiled as well, if nervously.

“Well, apparently his nephew had a crush on me and started to neglect his studies,” she continued, talking fast to ignore the warmth in her cheeks rising again, “Agimar hated that, but he was still harmless. One night his nephew was rambling over dinner and said something about how he thought I could make just about anyone fall in love with me and forget about everything else and Agimar lost it.”

Edge was already struggling not to laugh, his eyes sparkling with mirth. Rydia ignored him.

“He marched to my study and started yelling at me about how I was ruining his blood pressure and his nephew’s career. Then he said that there was at least one person in the world I couldn’t possibly charm—the famously single Crown Prince of Eblan,” she said, averting her gaze.

Edge stopped laughing and grimaced.

“Ouch,” he deadpanned, scratching the back of his head.

Rydia offered a small smile. “Anyway, that’s where he got the idea to curse me to this half-existence until I made you fall in love,” she concluded with a shrug.

He was silent for a moment.

“That’s deranged,” he said then.

“You’re telling me,” sighed Rydia, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and sinking in the armchair.

“It sounds like,” he said slowly, “what he meant was that I had to fall in love with _you_ , though.”

Rydia chuckled.

“Yes, that’s what he _meant_ , but the funny thing with spells is that they can’t really tell what you mean unless you say it clearly.” Edge nodded. “And what he said was ‘you’ll stay like this until you make Prince Edward Geraldine fall in love’. So, yeah, I’m free to interpret that however I want.”

He nodded again, leaning back into his chair.

“What does that even mean? I don’t think it just happens in a second. Do I have to say it to them? Does it have to be mutual?” he rambled.

Rydia paused in thought. “I think,” she said, “you have to admit it to yourself. And it doesn’t have to be required.”

Edge huffed. “’I think’, very reassuring.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who cast this lousy curse. There’s only so many recorded cases I can dig through.”

“I know this may be pointless,” he started after a second, “but are there any loopholes you could find? I don’t know, would platonic love do?”

Rydia shook her head. “I looked into that as soon as I was cursed. No dice. If it were anyone else I’d say Agimar himself could break the spell, but I don’t think he’s capable, honestly,” she huffed.

“I take it curses are easier to cast than to lift, then?”

“Yeah, and this one is already pretty half-baked. I think he was drunk.”

Edge ran a hand over his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is ridiculous.”

Rydia smiled tiredly. “I know, and I know that it’s not fair. I’m sorry.”

He waved a hand in the air.

“No, no, I get it. You don’t have to apologise. It’s just…” he trailed off.

Rydia closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples.

“Tell me about yourself,” she said after a moment.

Edge lifted an eyebrow. “Come again?”

She sat up straighter. “I want to know more about you. It’ll be much easier to play matchmaker.” She smirked.

He huffed. “Fine, but only if you tell me your real name.”

Rydia hesitated. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap.

“Names are powerful,” she said slowly, “especially names of mages. Understand that I’m trusting you with a weapon.”

Edge nodded seriously.

She took a deep breath. “Rydia.”

“Rydia,” he repeated softly, as if testing it.

She didn’t breathe for a second, the air between them inexplicably tense. Then, he smiled.

“Okay, Rydia. What do you want to know?”

 

* * *

 

Maybe telling Edge her real name hadn’t been the best move, Rydia mused as she browsed the library shelves. He was sprawled on an armchair nearby and was ostensibly reading, but in practice he stopped every minute or so to chat with her and _abuse_ her name.

“Hey, Rydia, have you ever seen a baby dragon? They say they’re adorable, but I’ve never been lucky enough.”

“Rydiaaaa, can you please give me a spell to make tomorrow’s meeting not last seven hours?”

“What are you planning for your next scheme, Rydia? Hey, Rydia? Are you ignoring me?”

She was, in fact, ignoring him. Edge seemed to catch on after that, and he let her work in peace for a while. Then, he broke the silence with a serious tone that made her finally turn around.

“Hey, Rydia?” he said.

She sighed. “What is it?”

He squirmed uncomfortably in his armchair. “Will I forget you when the curse is broken?” he asked.

He wasn’t looking at her. He was staring out the window, expression seemingly neutral if not for the little crease of worry between his eyebrows. She resisted the sudden urge to walk over and smooth it down.

“No, I don’t think so. I’ll be a human again, so you’ll be able to remember me as you would anyone,” she said.

Edge turned back to her, his face completely transfigured. He was beaming under his mask, the smile spreading to his eyes. Rydia felt the tip of her ears burn and turned back to her books.

“Good,” Edge said from behind her, “I don’t want to forget you.”

 

* * *

 

Rydia was running out of ideas. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She was running out of ideas that wouldn’t either force Edge to spend time with some random person or manipulate his mind. She sighed. This was way easier when they weren’t friends. She closed the book she had been reading and pushed it away from her. In stories there usually was a clear target for the hero or heroine to fall in love with.

She leaned back in her chair.

“What about _telling_ people that the ball’s purpose is to find you a lover?” she said.

Edge scoffed, in his usual armchair. “Brilliant, let’s make sure no one is actually interested in me for me. Might as well paint a target on my forehead.”

“A quest to win the hand of someone?”

“Nope.”

“A masquerade then?”

“You just really like big fancy events, don’t you?”

“Irrelevant. Since you’re not being helpful at all, I’m gonna go over your head again. I tried to include you in this, but noo.”

He suppressed a laugh. “Again, I don’t enjoy being pressured to fall in love.”

Rydia fell silent for a bit.

There was a knock at the door. After a moment, an attendant walked in and bowed to Edge, who sat a little straighter in his armchair.

“The visitors you requested from Mysidia are here, your Highness,” she said.

He nodded. “Thank you, Yumi. Let them in.”

As the attendant disappeared again, Edge met Rydia’s gaze and winked, a grin playing on his lips. She quirked an eyebrow.

A minute later, two people walked in: an elder dressed in Mysidia’s traditional garb and a nervous young man trailing behind him. Rydia shot up from her chair.

“Fabian! Agimar!” she exclaimed.

“How’s this for being helpful?” Edge whispered to her. “Please, have a seat,” he said then to the two guests.

Agimar swatted Fabian’s arm away when he tried to help him into an armchair. The younger man sighed deeply and sat down beside him, sneaking a nervous glance to Rydia. She walked over and silently sat down beside Edge.

“It has come to my attention that you have cast a curse on Lady Rydia,” Edge started.

Rydia turned to him, startled by his commanding tone. She supposed she had almost forgotten he was a prince, what with his laidback attitude.

Fabian pinched his nose with a groan, while Agimar kept his stiff posture and held Edge’s steely gaze. His hands, however, were shaking slightly.

“I have, your Highness.”

“Explain yourself.”

Rydia frowned. He _knew_ what had happened. He snuck a glance at her and nodded slightly. She relaxed back in her seat.

“Your Highness, Lady Rydia tried to ruin my nephew’s studies by seducing him. She wanted to ensure he wouldn’t be fit to inherit my position so _she_ could take over my Academy.”

“ _What?_ ” Rydia felt her cheeks burn.

“How dare you—”

“That’s not true, your Highness,” Fabian said finally, in a small voice.

“Fabian—”

“No, Uncle,” he said, “just listen to me for once.” He turned back to Edge, who gestured for him to continue. “Lady Rydia shouldn’t be blamed or punished for my feelings.” He reddened a bit, and Rydia lowered her gaze to the floor. “She did nothing to warrant them or encourage them. And it was entirely my decision to neglect my studies.”

He stood up, fists clenched at his sides.

“I am so sorry, Lady Rydia. This is all my fault,” he said, eyes shut tight. “I want to apologise to both of you.”

He bowed deeply, first to Edge and then to Rydia.

There was silence for a moment.

“Thank you, Fabian, but you’re not the one who should apologise.” Edge’s expression turned stern again as he stared down Agimar, who was fuming in his seat.

Fabian sat back down, a deep flush on his face.

“Not only did you curse an innocent woman for things entirely out of her control, but you involved others in the spell,” he said. “I do not appreciate you tying her freedom to my feelings. Lift the curse.”

Edge’s last command echoed in the room for a few seconds.

“I can’t, your Highness.” Agimar’s voice was shaking as well, now.

Edge’s eyes narrowed. “Come again?” he said coldly.

“I… don’t have the power to lift the curse. Trying would kill me and it wouldn’t even work. I don’t have enough magic power left in my old age.”

Edge pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Fine. I don’t have any jurisdiction in Mysidia, but I’ll make sure to write to my good friend King Cecil and explain what happened to him. I suggest you don’t get your hopes up about keeping your position. Fabian, please make sure his replacement is an honest person. Have a safe journey back to Mysidia,” he said, standing up and extending a hand to both men.

They shook it, then they both bowed to Edge and only Fabian to Rydia. They left the library in silence.

As soon as they were gone, Edge slumped back in his chair, the commanding aura seeming to slide off his features.

“Well, that was useless,” he said.

“I told you it would be,” said Rydia.

Edge attempted a half smile. “I feel sorry for that poor boy. It’s not like I can blame him for falling in love with you.”

“Huh?” Rydia turned to him, eyes wide.

He held his hands in front of him. “Not that _I_ am. In love with you, that is. But I don’t see myself hating the idea.” He winked, leaning on the armrest towards her.

Rydia opened her mouth and closed it again a couple times. Edge burst out laughing and she shoved him back in the armchair before getting up and marching to her usual table to hide the deep flush on her face.

 

* * *

 

“What the _hell_ , Rydia?” Edge almost kicked down the door to the library, making her jump.

“Wha—Edge? Don’t _do_ that!” she said, a hand pressed over her heart.

“Oh, don’t give me that. What happened to trying to be respectful?” he snapped, crossing his arms in front of her.

Rydia blinked up at him. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t. Toy with me,” he said.

“I’m not. I don’t know what you’re so worked up about,” she replied slowly.

She wracked her brain to see if she had done something to get him _that_ angry. No dice.

“Fine. Then, what is this?” he said, handing her a roll of parchment.

She took it without breaking eye contact. She read over the message, eyebrows rising higher and higher with every passing second.

“Are you serious?” she asked when she finished it, eyes wide.

He scoffed. “You tell me.”

She shook her head. “This isn’t me, Edge. Not even remotely.”

“Really? You didn’t give the Seneschal another one of your dreams?” He sounded sceptical.

She shoved the roll back in his hands. “Stop and think for a second,” she hissed, “How would this help me at all? I need you to _fall in love_. An arranged marriage may be the worst way to go about it.”

Edge’s eyes narrowed. “Is that the truth?” he asked in a low voice.

Rydia held his gaze. “Yes.”

His entire face shifted and softened. He uncrossed his arms and covered his eyes with one of his hands. When he let it fall, there was a pained expression on his features.

“Oh, Crystals, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Rydia. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. It’s just—” He cut himself off and sunk into one of the sofas in the library, head between his hands.

She walked over and silently sat beside him. When she put a tentative hand on his shoulder, he grabbed it and held it tightly in his own.

“What happened?” she asked.

He sighed. “The Seneschal convinced my parents that I’m never going to settle down on my own if they don’t do something. My _fiancée—_ ” he grimaced—“is a Baronian noblewoman, a relative of Queen Rosa’s I think. I’m supposed to start the courtship in a month and I’ll probably be married off within the year,” he said, slumping further in the sofa.

“But you’re still so young,” said Rydia.

Edge shot her a sideway glance. “I’m twenty-one and the Crown Prince. I should have gotten engaged at fifteen. My parents let me be then, but now they’re getting antsy. We need a _line of succession_ , after all,” he groaned.

“Oh… And I just put even more pressure on you, didn’t I?” she said in a small voice, not meeting his gaze.

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. It’s not your fault.”

“Still, I’m sorry,” said Rydia, putting her free hand on top of their joined ones.

He nodded and offered her a tight smile.

They stood there for a moment, holding hands in silence.

“Sometimes I just want to run away,” he said in the end.

“I can get you out of here.”

Edge turned to her with a weird expression, halfway between surprised, hopeful, confused and something Rydia couldn’t quite name.

“I can teleport us both away from here. No one would ever find you. If you need time away from the court, I can give it to you. As much time as you want,” she said, talking fast.

Edge was still staring at her with that strange expression, but his hands were gripping hers tighter.

She continued. “You could leave a note explaining that you’re okay, but you need to not be here for a while because it’s not right that they’re forcing you to marry someone you barely know. I know a place where you can stay, and if you want I’ll come with you and—” Edge cut her off by pulling her into his chest in a tight hug.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Rydia,” he whispered, burying his face in her hair.

After a second, she hugged back, smiling in the crook of his neck.

 

* * *

 

The preparations didn’t take long. Edge shoved money and some clothes in a bag and wrote a short note to leave in his room. He stood up and threw the bag over his shoulder, but then he stopped.

“Rydia,” he said, “can I talk to my sisters for a second?” he asked.

She stepped away from the doorframe where she’d been leaning and smiled. “Of course. Do you know where they are?”

“They should be in their room in the East Tower right now. Oh,” he said as Rydia extended her hand, “are we teleporting there?”

She nodded. “To get you used to the feeling. Grab on.”

He did, and she snapped her fingers. They landed in the corridor just outside the girls’ room, Rydia with a lot more grace than Edge. He stumbled forward and the only reason he didn’t fall flat on his face was Rydia’s hand tugging him back towards her. As he regained his composure, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A tall woman opened it and bowed to Edge. She didn’t notice Rydia at all, even though they were still holding hands from the teleportation.

Edge smiled at the woman. “Hello, Miyoko,” he said, “are Lavinia and Marian here? I need to speak to them for a second.”

Miyoko nodded and bowed again, before entering a small room beside the girls’ one. Rydia attempted to let go of Edge’s hand, but he held her tighter and gently led her inside.

“Edge!” exclaimed Lavinia, jumping down from her chair to run up to her brother.

“Hey Livvy, how’re you doing?” he said, letting go of Rydia’s hand to hug her.

She giggled and nodded enthusiastically. Then she spotted Rydia and asked something in Eblanese.

“No, no, but what I need to tell you is related to that. Do you mind if we keep this in Baronian?” replied Edge, waving a hand in the air.

Lavinia shook her head. “I’m Lavinia Geraldine, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said to Rydia.

“My name is Rydia and the pleasure is all mine.” Rydia smiled back at the girl.

“Should I get Mary?” she asked then to her brother.

Edge nodded. She ran off to the other corner of the room and ducked behind a paper partition. Edge pointed Rydia to a soft couch next to the window, where a half-finished embroidered cushion lay abandoned.

“How old are they?” asked Rydia to break the silence.

“Marian is four and Lavinia is ten, though it feels like she’s way older. She’s a sharp kid,” he said, smiling fondly.

Rydia hummed and smiled as well.

After a moment, Marian’s head poked out from behind the partition and her whole face lit up when she saw her brother.

“Edge!” she squealed, waddling to the couch and climbing into his lap.

Edge hugged her as well while Rydia fought to suppress her laughter. Lavinia waltzed back into the room and plopped down beside Rydia, offering a toothy smile. When Edge let her go, Marian turned to Rydia.

“Gannet!” she said, waving excitedly.

Rydia paused and she and Edge exchanged a perplexed look.

“You… remember me?” she asked quietly.

“But isn’t your name Rydia?” piped up Lavinia from beside her.

“You know what, Livvy? Story for another time,” said Edge, glancing at Rydia, “I need to talk to you two. Well, mostly you, Livvy, so you can explain it better to Mary.”

The older girl nodded, while the younger played with Edge’s dangling earring and babbled to herself.

“So, you know that Mom and Dad want me to get married, right?” Another nod. “Well, they’ve decided that they don’t want to wait anymore and they’ve chosen a wife for me.” His nose wrinkled in irritation at that.

“But I thought you wanted to get married,” said Lavinia.

“Yeah, maybe someday, but I certainly don’t want them to choose for me.”

“Are you gonna have a fight with Mother and Father?” she asked, bringing her hands to her mouth.

Edge chuckled. “No, no. Well, not right now anyway. And if I was going to, you wouldn’t be there to see it, don’t worry.”

Then he turned serious again. “I’m going to go away for a while, though. Mother and Father are going to be angry, but don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I just need to get away for a bit. It’s my life, not theirs.”

Lavinia was silent. She nodded slowly, lips pursued and eyes to the floor.

“Away?” said Marian, leaving the earring alone and facing her brother with big watery eyes.

“Yeah, Mary, just for a little bit. But I’ll be fine! Rydia will be with me, and she’s super smart and strong.” He winked at Rydia, who couldn’t help but blush lightly. She laughed and covered her mouth with her hand to hide it.

Lavinia looked at Edge, then at her, then back to him again.

“Is Rydia your secret girlfriend? Is that why you’re running away together?” she asked.

Edge’s eyes widened and he groaned, while Rydia ducked her head to hide her face behind her hair.

“What was the point of speaking Eblanese earlier if you were just gonna say it again in Baronian, Livvy?”

She shrugged. “You said to speak Baronian. And before I asked you if you were gonna marry her.”

“Oh, because that’s very different. Right, my bad.” He ran a hand over his face. “Again, no. Rydia is just a very good friend who offered to help me get away for a while.”

Lavinia hummed. Marian tugged at Edge’s sleeve.

“Edge, why are you going away?” she asked.

“I just need a little vacation. I’ll be back before you know it,” he said, poking her cheek.

Marian giggled, then she hugged her brother. He smiled and gestured for Lavinia to join in, which she did happily. He held them tightly for a moment, then he detangled himself and stood up. He set Marian down, then motioned for Rydia to follow him.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said, opening the door. “Oh, and could you not mention that you knew I was leaving? I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Lavinia nodded and waved.

“Bye, Edge. Bye, Rydia,” she said.

As they closed the door behind him, he took a deep breath. Suddenly, he seemed a lot more tired than a second before.

He knocked on Miyoko’s door and waved to her as she returned to the girls’ room. Then he held a hand out to Rydia.

“Ready.”

 

* * *

 

The first thing Rydia did when they landed in her cottage near Troia was to kneel down to where Edge had stumbled and hold him tight.

Neither one of them said a word, and they stayed like that for a long time.

 

* * *

 

Approaching the end of the first week, things had started to fall into a routine. Rydia and Edge had managed to turn the semi-abandoned cottage into a liveable home, not too deep into the woods surrounding Troia. There wasn’t much to do in town, especially with Rydia being almost invisible and Edge trying not to be recognised. They went to the marketplace in the morning, they had lunch at the Inn and they spent most afternoons roaming the forest and finding hidden spots.

That day, they had stumbled upon a delightful little lake full of ducks and flowers. Rydia climbed on a small rock in the middle of the pond and took off her boots to dip her legs in the pleasantly cool water. She sighed happily.

“I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed,” she said, shielding her eyes from the sunlight breaking through the treetops.

Edge chuckled, from the shore. “Your days must be so empty now that you’re not trying to set me up on dates.” He closed his eyes and reclined back. “Speaking of, why have you stopped?”

Rydia glanced towards him. “For one, I still feel guilty about pressuring you like that,” she said, drawing slow circles in the water with her feet, “Secondly, I’m kind of out of ideas. You beat me.” She laughed.

Edge opened his eyes. “But that means you’re not going to go back to normal.”

She shook her head. “For now. You’re not bad company, and since you’re the only one who can reliably see me I’m just going to hang around you until you do fall in love.”

He didn’t laugh. “And then you’re just going to leave for good?” he asked.

Rydia looked at him. “Well, not unless you want me to, I guess. But I do have a life to return to, you know?”

He hummed. “What did you do, exactly?”

“Aside from researching in Mysidia? Not much. I don’t see my family often.”

“How come?”

Rydia sighed deeply. “It’s a weird story.”

He hummed again.

“Remember the fire that destroyed Mist? I was very young when it happened, and it killed my mother.”

Edge straightened up.

“I’m sorry, Rydia. I shouldn’t—”

“It’s okay, it was a long time ago.” She smiled at him.

He furrowed his brows. “Was it? I thought it happened two or three years back.”

She sighed again. “Here is where it gets weird. I’ll spare you the details, but I ended up on a ship from Fabul to Mysidia. There was a storm, and I was knocked overboard. I thought I was going to die, but the King of the Eidolons, Leviathan, rescued me and brought me to their land, the Feymarch. There, he and Queen Asura raised me as their daughter for ten years. But when I came back to the surface, only a couple of months had passed.” She took a shaky breath. “So that’s why I don’t go back a lot. I’d be an old lady in the span of one surface-year,” she concluded with a chipper tone that sounded fake even to her own ears.

Edge was silent.

“Um,” he started, “Yeah, that’s definitely a weird story.” He fidgeted with his mask. “So, um, how old does that make you?” he asked.

Rydia couldn’t help her burst of laughter. Edge blinked at her.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing. Usually people pity me when they find out.” She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. “Anyway, I was born nine years ago, but in my own time I’m around nineteen,” she said.

“Crystals, Lavinia is older than you.”

That elicited another round of laughter from both of them. When Rydia managed to collect herself, Edge was looking at her with a soft expression on his face.

“You smile a lot more than when we first met. I’m glad I get to see that.” He closed his eyes and leaned back again, which spared Rydia from debating how to react.

“Anyway, are you going to go back to Mysidia when your curse is broken?” he asked.

She huffed. “I think so. At least, Agimar won’t be leading the show anymore.”

“You could stay in Eblan.”

She turned to him. He still wasn’t looking at her.

“If you have nowhere to go, or even if you have a thousand places to call home after this is over, just know that my door is always open.”

She lowered her gaze to the clear water again.

“Thank you. I’ll… keep that in mind.”

She didn’t have to look to know he was smiling, and to picture that smile in her head in its most minute details.

 

* * *

 

All in all, her timing really was the worst.

One afternoon, they had decided to stay in town. Rydia was running some errands while Edge was spending some time at the local bar. He had protested this arrangement, but she had pushed him into the pub, not so subtly hinting at the fact that he might find his soulmate there. He had shot her a dirty look but sighed and complied anyway. He had come back home that night slightly tipsy but happy to have made a lot of new friends. “Emphasis on _friends_ ,” he had pointed out.

After that, he started going back to the pub almost every day. He would help Rydia with whatever needed to be done, then apologise quickly and run off to where he could find drinks and company.

Rydia couldn’t really blame him. It was natural that he would want to spend a little time with people other than her, drinking and chatting up pretty girls and boys.

(“I didn’t realise you were such a flirt,” she said one evening, stirring a cup of tea.

He shrugged. “I’ve been a little _preoccupied_ lately. And no one here knows who I am, so I’m allowing myself a bit of banter. Is that so wrong?”

“No, no, of course not,” she said.

Her tea tasted a little bitter.)

Introspection had never been Rydia’s forte. So of course, instead of coming naturally, realisations tended to hit her like a brick in the face.

A month after they got to Troia, her evening stroll brought her around the pub. It was a warm night, so Edge and his friends were drinking outside. He spotted her and waved enthusiastically, already a bit drunk.

She waved back and gently shook her head when he motioned for her to join them. A girl sitting beside Edge turned and saw her. Her face flashed in recognition and she gave her a small smile, then turned back to him. She was saying something, although Rydia was too far away to make out what it was. She saw Edge’s eyes widen, then flicker wildly between her and the girl next to him.

Rydia furrowed her brows, but before she could go and ask Edge if he was sick, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned to see a man she recognised as the owner of the Potions shop. He held out the small bag of sweets—Edge’s favourites—that she had bought at the market.

“Excuse me, miss, you dropped this.” The man smiled as Rydia wordlessly took the package from his hands.

“Th—thank you!” she managed to get out, then he walked away.

She lifted a trembling hand and snapped her fingers. Nothing.

She closed her eyes and listened to her magic. For the first time in months, she felt the names of her Eidolons burning bright within her soul.

She didn’t glance back at all as she took off towards the cottage, heart in her throat and ragged breath.

She slammed the door to get inside and threw the groceries on the table. She fumbled with the lamp for a few seconds, before muttering the incantation for a small fire spell. She stood looking at it, mesmerised for a second, then the brick caught up with her.

People could see her.

Her magic was back.

The curse was broken.

Edge was—

But—

“How did I miss this?” she said, furiously running her hands through her hair. “I—I’m—”

_I love him and I realised it the second I know for sure he’s fallen for someone else._

She really did have the worst timing.

She dove into a drawer to fish out pen and paper and sat down at the table, hands still trembling.

 

> _Dear Edge,_

_I’m glad for you. I need to go, but I’ll come say hi ~~soon~~ ~~someday~~ ~~eventually~~ as soon as I can._

_Best of luck,_

> _Rydia_

 

Her fifth attempt was the one she eventually went with—because she’d run out of paper.

Rydia left the note next to the bag of sweets and gathered her few belongings. She stepped outside and joined her hands together. The familiar words for the Summoning fell easily from her lips as she traced a shimmering glyph in the air. One moment there was nothing in front of her, the next she was staring up at the Hallowed Father of Eidolons.

“Bahamut,” she said, on the verge of tears.

_My child_.

The majestic creature’s thoughts echoed through her.

_You have been missed dearly._

“I have missed you all so much as well,” she sobbed, furiously rubbing her nose with the back of her hand.

Dragons can’t smile, but Bahamut’s amusement and fondness manifested as a low hum all around her.

“Please, take me away from here. Anywhere will do, just not here,” she said, looking down.

Bahamut nodded and offered his massive paw. She stepped on it and he lifted her up to his back. She settled between his shoulder blades, then they took off.

The cold air whipped her face as she held on to his scales, breathing hard.

_Rydia,_ Bahamut said gently, _it is alright to cry_.

So, she did, on the journey to Mysidia.

 

* * *

 

Rydia wasn’t miserable. Tired, yes; aimless, possibly; bored, absolutely. But not miserable, or sad, or lovesick, or anything of the sort.

Following her disappearance, her projects at the Academy had been split between other mages. Normally, she used her completed studies as a springboard to branch out again, but without that, she was left to roam the halls, sometimes giving lectures on Eidolons. She was out of the loop of her own research. Ridiculous.

Yeah, she was bored. Boredom was dangerous, though. If she wasn’t careful, her thoughts would drift west, beyond the sea, towards Eblan.

She wondered—

She shook her head. Nope, not going there.

Someone cleared their throat behind her. Ireen, the new head of the Academy, sat beside her on her bench.

“What are you doing here, Rydia?” she asked without preamble.

Rydia cocked her head to the side. “Trying to figure out my next project?”

Ireen shook her head. “No, I meant _here_. In Mysidia.”

Rydia furrowed her brows.

The older woman sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re all thankful for your past work here, but I can’t help but feel you need to move on. Look at you,” she said before Rydia could interrupt, “You’re just going through the motions of being here. You used to be full of passion and energy, but now you’re just adrift.”

Rydia didn’t answer.

“What’s keeping you here?”

“My research—”

“You’ve barely gone into your study in the month you’ve been back. What’s really keeping you here? Actually, let me rephrase that: I’m dismissing you.”

Rydia blinked. “That wasn’t rephrasing it.”

Ireen smirked. “It was a new phrase, wasn’t it?” She turned serious again. “I don’t want to see you here at least for a year, understood? And if you come back, make sure it’s for actual projects. This isn’t a hostel for people who need to figure out what to do with their lives.”

Rydia felt Ireen grab her chin and turn her delicately to face her. “You’ve outgrown this place. See the world, discover new magic. Go, Rydia.”

Before she could answer, the Headmistress got up. She smoothed her skirt down and smiled, then walked away.

Rydia didn’t know how long she sat there, staring at the sun setting over the sea.

_“If you have nowhere to go, or even if you have a thousand places to call home after this is over, just know that my door is always open.”_

To hell with her feelings. They were friends, the least she could do was go say hi.

Before her nerves could get the best of her, she packed her things and marched down to the docks. By sunset, she was on a ferry to Eblan.

 

* * *

 

Clearly, Rydia wasn’t trapped on the ferry. Bahamut or Leviathan were just a Summoning away. But it was better to pretend she was, to ward off cold feet and indecisiveness.

The trip lasted two days, and she disembarked in Eblan Borough on a warm spring evening. Clutching her bag, she made her way to the Inn. She had decided to spend the night in town, then she would head to the castle in the morning.

_Crystals, let me go through with it_.

The Crystals were not on her side.

As soon as she stepped into the Inn, she locked eyes with Edge, who was sitting at the other side of the room.

“Rydia?” he said, eyes wide.

He was surrounded by the four people who had been with him when he’d rescued Niklas from the dragon and they had all been in the middle of a conversation. As Rydia didn’t answer or move, however, he scrambled to get up and in a few long strides he crossed the room to get to her.

“H—Hey!” he said, holding his hands at his sides awkwardly.

Rydia swallowed the knot in her throat and managed a “Hi.”

“How have you been? Is everything okay in Mysidia?” he asked, scratching the back of his neck and staring at a spot a little above Rydia’s head.

She nodded a little too enthusiastically. “Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine. How are you?”

“Good, good…” He trailed off, then refocused his gaze on her. “Listen, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?” he asked.

Rydia nodded and followed him to a small room beside the counter. Inside there was a small tea table with couches where they sat down, facing each other.

She waited for him to speak up, but he just kept wringing his hands in his lap and tugging at his mask. It would have been endearing if she wasn’t so nervous.

She cleared her throat. “So, um, sorry about the way I bolted back in Troia. I got a bit overwhelmed by… everything,” she said without looking at him.

“Oh, that. No, don’t worry. I got back to Eblan a couple of days after.” Edge shook his head with a small smile.

She nodded. “And how have things been since then?”

He finally tugged down his mask. “Not bad, I guess. My parents got a big enough scare from me running off that they decided to rescind the arranged marriage.” He shrugged.

Rydia tried to smile. “Besides,” she said, “it’d be a bit hard to force you to marry someone _now_ , right?”

Edge looked at her with a pained expression. Then, he slumped further into his couch.

“I’m so sorry, Rydia,” he said, covering his face with his hands.

She blinked at him. “Huh? Why would you be sorry? About what?”

He didn’t seem to have heard her. “I messed up, I didn’t mean to—and now I’ve made everything awkward for the both of us and I _swear_ I didn’t mean to, but it just happened—” He was rambling, but Rydia had no clue what he was talking about.

She got up to sit beside him. Gently, she took his hands and pried them away from his face.

“I’m gonna need you to stop freaking out and tell me what’s wrong,” she said.

Edge took a deep breath, staring at the floor. “I know that you needed me to fall in love, but I didn’t mean for it to happen like this. And I know you don’t wanna hang around here because of that, and I get it, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry,” he said.

“Like this? What do you mean? Did something happen with them?”

Now it was Edge’s turn to look confused. “Them? Who are you talking about?”

Rydia felt her stomach churn again. “The person you fell in love with? Was it one of your friends back in Troia?” She tried to smile again, with no success, and she averted her gaze.

Edge was silent, gaping at her like she’d grown a second head.

“Rydia, are you _insane_?” he said eventually, “I fell for _you_.”

She turned back to him so fast she could have broken her neck. “What!?” she sputtered, feeling her face heat up.

Edge let out a short burst of bitter laughter, then he took her face between his hands.

“Yeah, _you_. You and your kindness, you and your cleverness, your stubbornness, your _everything_.” He was so close. “You.”

When she didn’t answer for a second, he let her face go and looked away. “So, yeah, I’m sorry for falling in love with you because it’s clearly not what you wanted and—”

Rydia couldn’t let him finish that egregious bit of slander, so she grabbed his shoulders and kissed him.

It was supposed to be chaste and quick, because they needed to _talk_ , but as soon as she started pulling back Edge chased after her, tangling a hand in her hair and wrapping his other arm around her waist, and all thoughts of stopping flew out the window.

“I can’t believe,” he murmured between kisses, “that you of all people could be that dense.”

She kicked him lightly in the shin in retaliation, but her heart wasn’t in it. He laughed against her lips.

Somehow, Rydia ended up laying down on the couch, with Edge leaning on his forearms to keep his weight off her. Gradually, the hungry kisses eased into feather-light brushes, until Edge finally pulled away. Instead of sitting up, however, he pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. She did the same, and for a moment, they stayed like that, breathing the same air in silence.

When Rydia opened her eyes again, she found him looking down at her, pupils blown so wide the grey in his irises was barely visible. He smiled softly down at her.

“Hey.”

She suppressed a giggle. “Hi there.”

He pushed himself up and offered her a hand. When she took it, he hoisted her up and pressed another simple kiss to her lips. She pushed him away, laughing.

“Quit distracting me. There is talking to be done,” she said, tapping her finger against his mouth.

“What a shame,” he replied, but his eyes were twinkling.

Rydia cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair—she was vaguely aware of the fact that she was a mess, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care—before looking back at Edge.

He was still wearing that soft smile and she couldn’t help but return it. _Crystals_ , just when had she melted into a sappy puddle and why did she not mind in the slightest?

Edge was the first to speak up. “I’m guessing I need to rescind my apologies, then?” he said.

She huffed. “I think so. But I still want an apology for all the _lies_ you were telling.” She crossed her arms and looked away, pouting.

He looked confused. “Huh? Lies?”

“Oh, you don’t want to be around me because you _clearly_ don’t like the idea of me being in love with you,” she huffed, in a terrible impression of his voice, “Lies, lies.”

Edge laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, what was I supposed to take away from you disappearing to Mysidia the second I realised I wanted to kiss your face?” He paused. “Why _did_ you leave like that?”

She winced and bit her lip. “Yeah… Sorry about that. I might have gotten overwhelmed by a combination of my magic coming back, the fact that you had fallen in love with someone who wasn’t me and the realisation that _I_ wanted to kiss _your_ face.”

He chuckled softly. “Well, at least you didn’t get to skip the unrequited part either.”

“Oh, yeah, what a relief,” she said, but she was smiling.

Edge opened his arms. “C’mere.”

She obliged, nestling into his side and tangling her legs with his. He pressed a light kiss into her hair.

“By the way, why did you come here?” he asked.

Rydia huffed. “I was kind of out of the loop of my own research in Mysidia and I had nothing to work on. So after a month of freeloading there, the Headmistress kicked me out to ‘see the world’, I guess. And I didn’t know where to go, so I decided to stop being a horrible friend, swallow my feelings and come say hi to you and your mystery partner.” She smiled. “Things didn’t quite go as planned.”

“You lunatic,” he said, “How could I fall for anyone else? Though, to be fair, I was just as much of an idiot. You were right _there_ the whole time. And I was _trying_ to fall in love. But it took a bit too much alcohol and for Ilaria to point it out before I got it.” He shook his head. “Birds of a feather flock together, I guess.”

She hummed. “Send Ilaria a thank-you gift, then.”

“Hmm, I should do that, yes.”

For a while, no one spoke. Rydia was on the verge of dozing off, warm and safe and with Edge playing with her hair.

“What are you going to do now?” he asked then.

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t have a plan beyond coming here and saying hello.”

“Well, you were so focused on romance novels and fairy tales that you might not have noticed, but the Castle’s library has a ton of books on Ninjutsu. The practice doesn’t really spread outside Eblan, so I highly doubt you’ve studied it in Mysidia.” He glanced down at her. “So, if you want to research different types of magic, this is as good a place to start as any, wouldn’t you say?” he concluded, shrugging theatrically.

She pushed herself away from his chest and crossed her arms with a gasp. “Edward Geraldine, are you trying to bribe me with books to get me to stay?”

He put up his hands. “Okay, okay, how about this: I have it on good authority that Eblan is also the home of this guy named Edge. He’s pretty awesome and handsome, and recent events suggest that you might be rather fond of him. If you stayed here you’d be able to see him more often, every day even.”

Rydia stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… I do love him quite a bit.” She tried not to giggle when he beamed at her. “Alright, you convinced me,” she said, holding out a hand for him to shake.

Instead, Edge took it and entwined their fingers, then he pulled her closer to him.

“Thank you,” he said, before kissing her again.

When they finally broke apart again, she had a sudden thought.

“Your sister is gonna be so smug about this,” she said.

The laughter that followed was one that she wanted to hear for the rest of her life.

**Author's Note:**

> The fluff is getting worse, isn't it? This was supposed to be short n' sweet, what happened? Anyway, these two idiots are still consuming my life and frankly I'm okay with it.  
> As usual, feedback is greatly appreciated and you can find me over on Tumblr under the same username.  
> Cheers! ^_^


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